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On the Town's website by clicking the link below. It is important to remember that many permit fees listed have addition surcharge fee’s that are calculated based on a percentage of the base fee and/or valuation. The most accurate way to obtain a fee estimate is to call the Building Department at 650-752-0560. Master Fee Schedule

The Roundtable meeting is held every other month from Noon to 1pm upstairs in the main house in Holbrook Parmer Park. Call 650-752-0560 or when you are in our office lets staff know you want to be added to the email notification list.

Yes but it is not common. Some reasons a construction project may be stopped are: working without the required permits, working outside of the Town’s allowable construction hours, working beyond the scope of the original permit, covering work without the required inspections or when safety hazards exist. Outside of immediate safety concerns the Building Department and Code Enforcement will notify and attempt to gain compliance prior to the issuance of a formal “Stop Work Order”.

Civic Center Project

The Town maintains a Project web page. The Town strives to update this information regularly. However, please feel free to contact anyone on the project team for questions and updates. Civic Center Project Site

Measure L was passed by voters in 2012 requiring that the majority of the funding for the Admin, Police, and Public Works facilities come from private donations or grants and the already established Building Fees Fund. This was for design as well as construction. General Funds could be used before the project was officially approved as a project - in other words, the Town could use General Funds for environmental review and other pre-project work.

The Library is FULLY funded via separate Library Funds and Measure L did not restrict their use. Measure L essentially restricted the use of the Town's General Fund for the project.

As of May 2017, design costs for non-Library portion of the project is $3.3 million. Basic construction costs are estimated at $22.6 million. This brought the required funding total to approximately $25.9 million for design and basic construction. Approximately $1 million was allocated to pre-project costs dropping the requirement to $24.9 million. There was $2.9 million available in building fees funds dropping it further to $22 million. Approximately $7 million was raised by Atherton Now leaving a required funding gap of approximately $15 million. Acknowledging this, the City Council returned to the voters in 2017 with Measure A.

Measure A authorizes the Town to use available unallocated General Funds toward the project - $10 million or 38% of the total project is funded by private donations and building fees.

The City Council receives a monthly report from Atherton Now on the status of fundraising for the project. The Reports are part of the monthly City Council Packet for its Regular Meetings. These can be found in the Town's Archive.

Sort of. In the current historic Council Chambers, off to the left of the Council Chambers entry there is a restroom and a small conference room. The conference room is largely used for storage and small break-out meetings, when needed. With the new project, the Council Chambers is being renovated to serve as a multi-purpose room for the Library and an expanded space for Atherton's Heritage Committee. The multi-purpose room will open up on the Library deck and the small, existing conference will be plumbed for future use as a cafe or catering kitchen. That is the extent of what is currently designed for that space.

No. The Police Department staff are required to maintain a level of physical fitness - most of which, like the rest of us, is handled during off work hours. However, the Police Department staff are also required to train in various defensive tactics - hand to hand training, restraint, baton and riot training, weapons training, and other sorts of training that requires training mats and equipment.

Currently, the Police staff use approximately 600-800 square feet in the garage for this training. In the space is workout equipment (all donated by the community and the officers themselves), mats and other training gear. The space is actively used - with one caveat - because parts of the space doubles as the weapons cleaning station, parking of motorcycle vehicles, vehicle repair area, and evidence storage - there are limitations on its use. This will be remedied in the new buildings where the spaces are built as they are required to be built by law and up to OSHA standards.

Yes, but....it includes a lot of other stuff as well AND the fully funded Library. There are a lot of ways to look at the numbers.

Of that total $52 million cost, the Library represents $18.8 million. The Library portion of the project is fully funded. That leaves a remainder of $33.2 million.

Included in that remaining $33.2 million is the pre-project environmental work and other geotechnical work totaling approximately $1 million. That leaves $32.2 million left for the project.

Of that total, $3.3 is architectural and design costs leaving $28.9 million. Of that total, $22.6 is construction, $2.2 million is for furniture, fixtures, and other building equipment (mostly post project), and $4.1 million is built in for contingencies. These are both design and construction contingencies.These contingencies are built in to accommodate potential changes to the project design as the project moves along and potential change orders for construction or cost escalation at bid.

At the end of the day, the true construction cost for the project will be what the market bears at the time of bid. However, the Town has hired Mack5, a professional construction estimation firm, to analyze the project in detail and provide as accurate a cost estimate as possible. The estimated cost of the project's construction is $22.6 million.

Currently, the project is in the Construction Drawings Phase. This phase is expected to complete in November/December 2017. The next phase is the Bid Phase. The Bid Phase will last until February/March 2018.

After review of bids, the Council can award a bid to a qualifying contractor. That is anticipated in March/April 2018. The project has a 27-28 month construction timeline. Construction would begin in April/May 2018 and continue until at least August 2020.

With that construction timeline, the project will cross over multiple Fiscal Years and Town Budgets - FY 2017/18, FY 2018/19, FY 2019/20, and FY 2020/21. This is where the funding timeline comes in for the project. Given that the project crosses 4 Fiscal Years, the Town is able to use funds from each of those fiscal years in its projections for funding availability.

Bid Alternates and Bid Deducts are designed into the project plans to be bid by all contractors bidding on the project. The Town can add in an alternate or deduct to make adjustments to the project. These bid alternates (whether adds or deducts) must be incorporated and designed into the project "pre-bid" to allow all contractors to bid the project in the same way. The Town then awards the bid based on its selected alternatives. Changes AFTER award of bid are change-orders with costs that may or may not be shared in some way with the contractor.

Presently, the project is designed with 7 Alternates (some could add cost some could deduct cost)

The deducts and/or adds are NOT included in the base costs of the building. They are only added or eliminated (deduct) if selected by the Council at the time of award of bid. The City Council is also looking at additional items to add to this list. These include:

Park fields for the casual user are first come first serve. For those seeking use for a group gathering (more than 5 people) reservations can be made by contacting our Event coordinator at (650) 752-0534.

Yes. All of the Town's current Memorandums of Understanding with the Atherton Police Officers Association, specific position employment contracts, and salary & benefit resolutions are all online. They are accessible via the Human Resources Web Page under Labor Contracts. Labor Contracts

The Town has one bargaining unit that represents the Atherton Police Officers and Dispatchers. This is the only segment of employees represented by a bargaining unit. California law (Government Code) provides employees the right to form, join and participate in "concerted" or "union" activities. When this occurs, the employer and union or association have a legal obligation to "meet and confer in good faith" on matters involving wages, hours or other terms and conditions of employment. The result of this "meet and confer" process or "collective bargaining" process is a negotiated labor agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

MOUs are bargained at different periods of time and, depending on their length will expire at different times. The current MOU with the Atherton Police Officers Association (APOA) expires in September 2016.

There are many factors that are taken into consideration when the Town decides what issues it will introduce during the negotiations process. The strongest influences on the negotiation process is the Town's fiscal condition and operational considerations. The City Manager serves as the Town's chief negotiator during the negotiations process with the APOA. The City Manager meets with the City Council in closed session to provide updates on the negotiation process and issues involved. With the approval of the the City Manager and the direction of the City Council, proposals and issues are identified that meet the needs of the Town and organization. These are brought forward during the negotiations process.

The two parties, the Town and the APOA, each have their own process for determining what proposals they bring to the negotiations table. Through the collective bargaining process, the parties attempt to reach agreement by negotiating the proposals presented. When a tentative agreement is reached, the APOA presents the agreement to its members for approval. If the employees approve the tentative agreement, the City Manager then brings the agreement to the City Council for ratification.

If the MOU expires prior to a successor MOU being successfully negotiated, the terms and conditions of employment remain in place while the parties are still engaged in the negotiations process. The effective date of any ultimately ratified amendments or changes becomes a point of further negotiation.

A "concession" is a term used when the employees or employer are being asked to reduce, eliminate, or impose wages or benefits. For example, an employee concession could be to reduce their wages by 5% in the face of fiscal distress expressed by the Town. A concession by the Town could be to add or impose a benefit not previously provided in lieu of something different.

Any structural deficit (operating revenues less than operating expenditures) is one of the most important factors for negotiation discussions (from the Town's perspective). Labor costs are the highest percentage of costs to the Town's General Fund. Increases to wages or benefits directly impact current and future budgets.

There is no set time frame for bargaining to be concluded. Both parties have a legal obligation to meet and confer in good faith. Insofar as those discussions continue to be productive, the parties continue to meet. When, after a reasonable period of time, the parties fail to reach agreement, the parties may mutually agree to request mediation and ultimately move to impasse.

Mediation is a voluntary process sometimes used when the parties are unable to reach agreement. If both parties agree to seek the assistance of a neutral third party, a State "mediator" will meet with the parties and try and resolve remaining issues.

Effective January 2012, when a local public agency has reached an impasse during collective bargaining with representatives of a recognized employee organization, the employee organization is able to require the bargaining impasse to be submitted to a "fact finding" panel. Specifically, if a mediator is unable to effect settlement within 30 days of appointment, the employee organization may request that the differences be submitted to a tri-party fact finding panel consisting of one representative from each of the sides and a chairperson selected by the Public Employment Relations Board ("PERB").

The fact finding panel is charged with making written findings of fact and advisory recommendations covering unresolved issues during negotiations. The panel is empowered to conduct investigations, hold hearings and take any steps it deems appropriate to resolve the bargaining impasse, including the issuance of subpoenas requiring witness testimony and the production of evidence.

If the impasse is not settled by the panel within 30 days after appointment, they must submit any findings of fact and recommended terms of settlement to the parties. The public agency is required to make these findings and recommendations publicly available within 10 days of receiving them. After applicable mediation and fact finding procedures have been exhausted, but no earlier than 10 days after the issuance of the panel's written findings and recommendations, a public agency may implement its last, best and final offer. Prior to doing so the agency must hold a public hearing regarding the impasse.

Agency experience with the 2012 State law has revealed that the new fact finding/impasse tends to be a costly solution to negotiation stalemates.

The Archive Center is a collection of documents that contains minutes, budgets, agendas, reports, and other information. To find something in the Town's history, visit the archives center. Archives Center

Atherton residents receive services through a mixture of in-house staff, contracts and partnerships, as well as services through outside agencies such as water services, sewer services, and telecommunications services. To assist the community with obtaining better service information and delivery we have assembled a comprehensive list of the various types of services provided in Atherton. You can visit the Local Municipal Services Page. Local Municipal Services

Marsh Road

The State and Regional Permits required provide guidelines as to when work may be done in the channel areas. Construction can ONLY occur from March to October. The Town expects an award of construction to take place by April and work to begin shortly thereafter. The Council is commenting on a proposed construction schedule at their March 16, 2016 Council Meeting (Staff Report).

The project will have significant traffic and neighborhood impacts on Marsh Road in order to perform the work and to allow for construction equipment and material staging. There will be unavoidable impacts to traffic flow and significant impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods (traffic, noise, etc.).

The project construction is wedged between the immovable boundaries of April 15 and October 15 (State law). The project is further constricted by school traffic/timing and the Town’s waste hauler route audit. It has also been suggested that the project limit its impact during the school year (mid-June and early-August) – to accommodate these boundaries, the project construction period would be limited to mid-May 2016 to mid-October 2016 (5 months) – pushing the project to school year end or school year beginning, but not both.

If all the weekdays in the above period were open, this limits the project to 100 construction days; assuming the project is confined to the Town’s established Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm construction requirements. That is not sufficient time for the project to complete. Staff worked with the construction management professional and developed three potential construction schedules addressing the concerns as much as possible. In broad summary, the proposed construction schedule would involve an 8-week full closure (48 working days) of Marsh Road (access to local driveways permitted) with active construction from 9 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday. The remainder of the necessary construction period (42 days) would have daytime flagging of 1-lane, 2-way traffic control and active construction from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

The Council opted for a concrete U-Channel design that would allow covering at a future date. Given the deterioration of the existing channel, time was of the essence in getting the project moving. The channel as a watercourse is governed by the Regional Water Quality Board, Army Corp of Engineers, State Fish and Wildlife, and others. A covered channel required a full environmental impact report. The length of time required to complete such a report was prohibitive. Designing the channel uncovered at this point allowed the Town to move forward more quickly but retained the option for cover at a future date.

The Council was and is keenly interested in the opportunity to cover the channel at a future date with the possibility of bicycle and/or pedestrian pathways along it. However, there are a number of issues to work through first - 1) environmental review; 2) termination of the bike/ped at Fair Oaks in the County...then what? 3) capacity issues related to the covered channel

YES! The Council hired Biggs Cardosa Associates, Inc. to analyze various options for repair and design. These included soldier piles, cast-in-place options, pre-cast options, soil nails, box culverts, and a steel pipe. After analysis, the Council landed on a cast-in-place U-Channel with the opportunity to cover the channel at some future date for a bicycle/pedestrian pathway. Here's a link to the October 2013 Report: November 20, 2013 Report

The Town discussed adding a lane of travel for vehicles. The width of Marsh Road narrows a bit in areas. If/when the channel is covered in the future, the Town could consider adding some additional width to the paved area on the east and west side of the roadway to allow the striping of an additional lane of travel and/or emergency response lane. Trees would have to be removed from the right-of-way to accommodate the project.

The addition of an emergency response lane is something that the Menlo Park Fire District has suggested as a priority when/if the channel is ultimately covered. Because Marsh Road is a detour corridor for Highway 101, a thruway for travel through Atherton to other destinations, and an emergency response route to areas around Atherton, the question becomes who should contribute to the widening of the roadway? Should the cost be borne by solely Atherton residents? Or, should the cost of the project be spread amongst the State, the Fire District, and other regional agencies with an interest in the improvements?

At the present time, the Town is solely interested in a project that can rehabilitate the channel. It is currently deteriorating to the point that the roadway itself is in jeopardy of failing. The cost to do this incremental repair is nearly $3.5 million (all in) - all at the expense of Atherton residents. Bigger projects addressing bigger issues with far more substantial costs will be considered at a later date. Roadway safety is the primary issue driving the project at this point.

Planning

Each lot is unique and what can be built depends on many factors (e.g. zoning district, lot size, lot configuration, and existing square footage to name a few). Please review the zoning map and handouts and set up an appointment to meet with a planner prior to submitting your plans.

The maximum size of a house, or Floor Area Ratio in Atherton depends on the size of the lot and the residential zone in which the property is located. Information pertaining to the maximum allowable FAR can be found in Chapter 17.32 and 17.33 of the Town Zoning Ordinance.

Atherton has two residential zones, R1A and R1B. There are also Public Facilities Zones, comprised of public schools and Town administration offices, and Public Open Space zones containing parks and open space.

There are three private schools and five public schools in Atherton Town Limits. Private schools include Sacred Heart, Menlo School, and Menlo College. Public schools include Las Lomitas School, Selby Lane School, Menlo Atherton High School, Encinal School, Laurel School.

The Town of Atherton does not regulate private rental agreements between a landlord and a renter, however these types of agreements shall involve some sort of lease agreement for use of the property as a single family residence, and short-term rentals (Airbnb) are not permitted.

Yes - use and development standards for second units are regulated by the Second Dwelling Unit Ordinance found in Chapter 17.52 of the Town Zoning Code. The Planning Department page also includes a handout detailing size, location, and design requirements for second dwelling units.

The Town of Atherton does not allow commercial-residential uses. Prohibited uses include hotels, motels, boardinghouses, and transient guest quarters, including bed and breakfasts. Renting homes on VRBO or Airbnb would be considered commercial use and are not allowed.

Police

The Town of Atherton has a leash law. Please see Title 6, Chapter 4 of the Atherton Municipal Code for further information about this, and other animal related ordinances. Town of Atherton Municipal Code

You may donate your cell phone to your local Verizon Wireless store as part of their Hopeline Program.The closest Verizon store to Atherton is located 1.5 miles North in Redwood City at 2501 El Camino Real. Verizon Wireless Hopeline Program

If you have a gun, grenade or other explosive device in your residence that you wish to dispose of contact the Police Department and an officer will respond to your residence. Please do NOT bring the items to the Police Deparment. Our goal is to asist you in a safest manner possible. The best way to for us to do so is to allow us to handle the items.

Some events require permits, others do not. You can find out more about the requirements associated with events by reviewing Chapter Town of Atherton Municipal Code Title 17, Chapter 56. Town of Atherton Municipal Code

Upon your request, the Atherton Police Department will dispose of any ammunition you may have at your house. Just call the police department at 650-688-6500, or you can bring your ammunition down to the station. We will also dispose of any old firearms you do not want. If you bring a firearm to the police department for disposal, make sure it is unloaded and keep it in the trunk of your vehicle until an officer meets with you in the lobby. You can also call the police department at 650-688-6500 and an officer will meet you at your home.

Public Works

The Public Works Department oversees the public right of way. Per Town ordinance, most landscaping in the right of way (including tree’s) is the responsibility of the property owner whose property adjoins the area.

Street sweeping is performed to about 17.5 lane miles of street on a monthly basis. This is mainly on streets with curb and/or gutter. The entire town gets swept 4 times per year depending on leaf drop and storm litter.

Not all streets in the Town are public. There are still a few private streets still in existence. The difference is the Town does not perform routine maintenance on private streets, nor does it oversee the utility uses or other right of way encroachments.

Roadway Bicycle Markings (or "Sharrows") are popping up around Town along designated bicycle routes. Sharrows assist bicyclists with positioning on a shared roadway and alert motorists of the location that a cyclist may occupy within the traveled way.

Sharrows do not represent a designated traffic lane for bicyclists - they serve as a lateral guide for bicyclists and an alert for motorists. A bicycle lane is a designated traffic lane for bicyclists and is represented by a solid white line, typically breaking into a dotted line ending before it reaches a corner.

The California Vehicle Code provides Safety Tips for Bicyclists and Motorists to assist bicycle riders and motorists alike in managing the rules of the road. Bicycle riders on public roads have the same rights - and the same responsibilities - as motorists.They are both subject to the same rules and regulations. The California law requiring motorists to leave 3 feet from a bicyclist as they pass applies on shared roadways. The law applies to any place a vehicle passes a bicyclist - regardless of whether there is an identified bicycle route, lane, or not. If there is not enough room for a driver to give three feet of space, the must slow down before safely passing. Bicyclists must obey traffic signs and signals - just like any other vehicle.

In 2014, the City Council confirmed the priorities and accepted the Town's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The Town of Atherton has developed a Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan. The primary purposes of the Plan are to:

• Provide a comprehensive plan for bicycle/ pedestrian improvements throughout the Town; • Provide connectivity with adjacent agencies; • Improve bicycle and pedestrian safety; • Become more strategic and successful competing for bicycle/pedestrian grant funding; and • Identify barriers and solutions for residents to safely access bicycle and pedestrian destinations within the Town of Atherton and to other regional destinations.

The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) controls how and where sharrows may be placed and are based on a number of factors such as road width, curb presence, parking, etc. In some areas, you may see a sign that says "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" - this is because under the California Vehicle Code, the sign is required along routes where there are no designated bicycle lanes or shoulders that are usable by bicyclists and where travel lanes are too narrow for bicyclists and motor vehicles to operate side by side.

As mentioned above, sharrows are used to assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side and alerts motorists of the lateral location of bicyclists likely occupying portions of the traveled way. On Atherton streets, the MUTCD requires that the center of the sharrow be at least 4 feet from the edge of pavement where there is no curb. The bicyclist should ride to the right of the center of the sharrow.

The Town is also moving forward with analysis for Class I and II lanes along Selby Lane, Watkins, Atherton Avenue, and Valparaiso. For more information on the Town's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan visit the Town's website.

Quiet Zone

A Quiet Zone is a section of a rail line that contains one or more consecutive public highway-rail at-grade crossings at which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded. A quiet zone does not preclude the sounding of locomotive horns in emergency situations, nor does it impose a legal duty to sound the horn in such situations. Nothing in the Final Rule restricts the use of locomotive horns during malfunctions, maintenance or testing.

In response to an increase in train/automobile collisions, in 1994 Congress enacted a law that required the FRA to issue a Federal Regulation requiring the consistent sounding of locomotive horns at public highway-rail grade crossings. It also gave the FRA the ability to provide for exceptions through which communities may establish “quiet zones”.

The Train Horn Rule became effective in June 2005. The rule set nationwide standards for the sounding of locomotive train horns at public highway-rail grade crossings. The FRA has very specific requirements as to when, where, how long, and how loud a train must sound its horn. According to FRA rules, train horns must:

• Be between 96 and 110 decibels• Sound at least 15 seconds but no more than 20 seconds before reaching a crossing• Sound no more than ¼ of a mile in advance of a crossing if the train is traveling faster than 60 mph

Per the FRA Rule, a Quiet Zone may be established by the Public Authority responsible for traffic control or law enforcement at the public highway-rail grade crossing. The Town of Atherton is the Public Authority for the Fair Oaks Lane and Watkins Avenue rail grade crossings.

No. The Final Rule regulates locomotive train horns at public highway-rail grade crossings. Commuter rail stations and associated audible warnings are regulated by the operating rules of the passenger rail agency, in this instance, Caltrain. Caltrain should be contacted to obtain information regarding their operating rules related to audible warnings for stations. Visit the Caltrain Website

Each crossing within a Quiet Zone must be equipped with active grade crossing warning devices and meet other criteria in accordance with the Final Rule in order to be eligible for Quiet Zone establishment. The safety equipment provided at the Fair Oaks Lane highway-rail grade crossing is the installation of a 4 quadrant gate system which provides a physical barrier to prohibit cars from entering the railroad corridor in the event of an approaching train. The 4 quadrant gate system is an approved FRA Supplemental Safety Measure which provides additional warning to minimize the risk of vehicle/train collisions.

The absence of routine locomotive train horn sounding increases the risk of a crossing collision, but the FRA required Supplemental Safety Measure (4 quadrant gate system) is intended to mitigate any increased risk. In the event of a collision, liability would be determined by a court on a case-by-case basis, but the idea is that installation of the Supplemental Safety Measure makes the crossing at least as safe, if not safer, than it was prior to establishment of the quiet zone. As a result, establishment of a quiet zone should not result in additional liability for the Town.

Not at this time. The Watkins highway-rail grade crossing currently does not have the required Supplemental Safety Measure to make this crossing Quiet Zone eligible. The Town of Atherton has funded an engineering study to determine the feasibility and cost to construct a 4-quadrant gate system at the Watkins Avenue crossing. Once completed, funding and construction will need to be coordinated with and through Caltrain.